Peter S. Beagle Named SFWA Damon Knight Grand Master
I don’t always write about automation, technology, and manufacturing. I write and edit science fiction, fantasy and alternate history as well. This brings me into contact with a variety of well-known writers, like Larry Niven, the late Jerry Pournelle (who I replaced as a Director of the Heinlein Society) and many others.
I have known Peter Beagle since 1973, when I did the lighting and set design for a play he was performing in at UC Santa Cruz. He is one of my favorite people. A couple of years ago, at Balticon, my wife Joy Ward, who is the interview columnist for Galaxy’s Edge magazine, with some technical assistance from me, conducted a far-ranging interview with Peter, excepts from which were published in the September 2016 issue of Galaxy’s Edge magazine, and a longer version to be published by Shahid Mahmoud sometime this year. We are extremely delighted that Peter has received this very long overdue honor from his peers.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) is pleased to announce that Peter S. Beagle has been named the 34th Damon Knight Grand Master for his contributions to the literature of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is given by SFWA for “lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy.” Beagle joins the Grand Master ranks alongside such legends as C. J. Cherryh, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula K. LeGuin, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Joe Haldeman. The award will be presented at the 52nd Annual Nebula Awards Weekend in Pittsburgh, PA, May 17-20, 2018.
Beagle may be best known for his novel The Last Unicorn, and has also explored our fascination with the mythical in The Innkeeper’s Song, A Fine and Private Place, and a wide variety of short fiction. Beagle won the Hugo and the Nebula Award for his 2005 novelette “Two Hearts.” He has won the Mythopoeic Award for his novels The Folk of the Air and Tamsin. He was nominated for a Hugo for his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings for Ralph Bakshi’s animated version and wrote the screenplay for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Sarek.”
SFWA PRESIDENT, CAT RAMBO
Peter Beagle’s work has been the gateway for multitudes of fantasy readers, but also writers as well, including myself. His work shines a light on the human heart and its beauties even when that heart is flawed and wanting, showing how that beauty arises from such imperfect conditions. Beagle unquestionably belongs among the greats, and I count it a privilege to invite him to be the next SFWA Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master.
The Nebula Awards will be presented during the annual SFWA Nebula Conference, which will run from May 17th-20th and feature expert presentations, seminars and panel discussions on the craft and business of writing, SFWA’s annual business meeting, and receptions. On May 20th, a mass autograph session will take place at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center and is open to the public. For more information on the conference, including a link to register, please visit nebulas.sfwa.org.
The Nebula Awards recognize the best works of science fiction and fantasy published in the United States as selected by members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, membership in which is open to professional science fiction and fantasy authors. The first Nebula Awards were presented in 1966.
In addition to the Nebula Awards, SFWA will present the Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book, the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award, the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award, and the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award.

At the INSIDER we’ve been saying this for years. The adoption of even basic cyber security actions in the industrial space is very low. Many companies believe that they are “pretty safe” because they are relatively obscure. But I recall a conversation with the head of IT of a regional potato chip company about 7 or 8 years ago: “I never thought anybody would cyber attack us. We make potato chips, for God’s sake.”

Honeywell, which has maintained a very high emphasis on cyber security in the industrial environment for over a decade now, sponsored a report by LNS Research on adoption of cyber security practices.

Here’s the press release with the study’s findings. All we can say is, “Wake up, people!”

The issue has gone beyond lack of knowledge. As Joy Ward, Spitzer and Boyes LLC’s director of research says, if you put together a good intellectual argument, and nobody is buying, you are looking at high emotional barriers. She recommends doing some serious qualitative research to determine what those barriers are, so that the intellectual argument can be adjusted and become effective.

Either that, or we need to prepare for a cyber disaster of enormous proportions.

Almost two thirds of surveyed companies don’t monitor for suspicious behavior

HOUSTON, December 6, 2017 – Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today released a new study showing industrial companies are not moving quickly to adopt cyber security measures to protect their data and operations, even as attacks have increased around the globe.
The survey – Putting Industrial Cyber Security at the Top of the CEO Agenda – was conducted by LNS Research and sponsored by Honeywell. It polled 130 strategic decision makers from industrial companies about their approach to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and their use of industrial cyber security technologies and practices. Among the findings were:
• More than half of respondents reported working in an industrial facility that already has had a cyber security breach.
• 45% of the responding companies still do not have an accountable enterprise leader for cyber security.
• Only 37% are monitoring for suspicious behavior.
• Although many companies are conducting regular risk assessments, 20% are not doing them at all.
“Decision makers are more aware of threats and some progress has been made to address them, but this report reinforces that cyber security fundamentals haven’t been adopted by a significant portion of the industrial community,” said Jeff Zindel, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Industrial Cyber Security. “In order to take advantage of the tremendous benefits of industrial digital transformation and IIoT, companies must improve their cyber security defenses and adapt to the heightened threat landscape now.”
The study suggests these three immediate actions for any industrial organization to capture the value of the new technologies:
1. Making industrial cyber security part of digital transformation strategies;
2. Driving best practice adoption across people, processes and technology, from access controls to risk monitoring, and tap external cyber expertise to fill gaps
3. Focusing on empowering leaders and building an organizational structure that breaks down the silos between IT and OT.
“Cyber security needs to be part of every CEO’s agenda to ensure the effective, immediate and long-term deployment of strategies and technologies such as IIoT,” said Matthew Littlefield, president and principal analyst, LNS Research. “In short, in order for a business to succeed on its digital transformation journey, it needs to succeed with industrial cyber security.”
LNS Research is a global leader in research and advisory for digital transformation of industry, delivering technology insights for business executives. Its analysts focus on identifying the metrics, leadership, business process, and technology capabilities effecting change.
​Honeywell’s industrial cyber security technologies and expertise address many of the issues identified in the LNS Research study. For more information, please visit https://hwll.co/uhrgs and www.becybersecure.com.